SB Nation - TCU Horned Frogs

Beavers / Frogs Talk

AndyPanda — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:15:03 -0000

Rumors and newspaper columns have been flying for a couple of weeks about ESPN's idea to have Oregon St. ditch next season's home opener against Eastern Washington in order to have the Beavers play a Sept. 4 season opener spectacular in Cowboys Stadium, against the TCU Horned Frogs.

Athletic Director Bob DeCarolis on Monday made the idea seem real, saying "We're still negotiating with ESPN, but I would hope in the next two weeks we'll be able to get this thing accomplished. It's looking good, but there are still some things that need to come together."

The thing that needs to come together is mostly finding someone for Eastern Washington to play.

The reasons for the move are simple, dollars and promises.

The payout is projected to be at least $300,000, with the potential to reach nearly $1 million, which just happens to be the amount DeCarolis projects the school's athletic budget to be deficient in the 2009-10 academic year. Of course, the fact that it could cost some $ to get the Eagles to go away, and the loss of a home game will cost the revenue of an crowd of over 40,000, plus the price of a road trip, will have to be subtracted from that payout.

It's also a way for Oregon St. to get the Rodgers brothers James and Jacquizz an opportunity to play a game in their home state. The Rodgers of course come from Houston suburb Richmond, Texas, about a four hour drive from the Dallas area.

Coach Mike Riley has bought off on the move, saying "We've wanted to take the Rodgers brothers back to Texas for a game before James graduates, and this is our last chance to do that. Plus, I've always liked the big games, and it's a lifetime experience to play in that stadium. I said go for it."

The last chance, unless Oregon St. reaches the Alamo Bowl next season.

The downside is probably the end of any hope of a BCS at-large bid before classes ever start, and yet another slow start to a season, record wise, and the chance of diminished selection for television, and reduced or non-existent rankings, during October, until the regularly scheduled Riley late season surge comes about. That reduced television revenue has to be subtracted from the ESPN check as well.

DeCarolis does consider it a gamble, but feels "If you're fortunate enough to pull off a win, you're in the national conversation. It also helps the players focus in getting ready for the season through the summer."

Considering this a gamble is an optimistic view at best, though.

For those questioning the probability of this gloomy scenario, keep in mind it will mean two road games to BCS bowl teams that return almost their entire roster in the first month.

Undefeated and third ranked TCU is on track to return 18 starters, and any notion that playing the Horned Frogs, who are from Ft. Worth, in Arlington, is a neutral site game is foolish. It's the same as playing the Washington Huskies at Quest Stadium and calling that a neutral site.

And at the end of the month, there is the trip to Boise. The sixth ranked and undefeated Broncos also return almost their entire starting lineup as well, and are 75-2 on their blue turf.

Even though the Beavers return 19 starters, that's a start that will mean the toughest schedule in college football, not just next season, but maybe for several years, as all the national/rational powers try to limit their non-conference schedule to just one game they have a good chance of losing.

The prospect of that start has to make projected new starting quarterback Ryan Katz more than a little nervous.

And while a 1-2 start would limit the BCS options to winning the Pac-10 in order to go to the Rose Bowl, that will be an accomplishment too. With the return of Jake Locker to Washington, it means all nine of the other Pac-10 teams are likely to have a returning quarterback with Pac-10 starting experience.

Makes one wonder how much DeCarolis knows that he isn't saying.

We do know De Carolis, who has repeatedly been identified as a prime candidate for the vacant Michigan athletic director position, knows more about that situation than we do. De Carolis, whose contract at Oregon St. runs through 2011, previously spent 19 years in the Wolverines' athletic department before coming west to OSU in 1998. And his oldest daughter is a junior at Michigan.

But when asked if he had even been contacted by Michigan officials, De Carolis said, "I'm not in a position to talk about that. Let them go through the process, and we'll see what happens."

What we don't know is whether this development is a tip that there is more than yet meets the eye regarding the future status of quarterback Lyle Moevao, who missed all but one play this season, due first to slow recovery from shoulder surgery, and then an ankle injury in practice.

We do know that OSU officials haven't yet filed the formal application to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee for a sixth season of eligibility for Moevao, who has an 11-4 record as a starter.

The process includes submitting both a letter from the student athlete, and one from the school on his behalf, as well as copies of his transcripts and academic standings to the NCAA. Alex Parker, OSU's associate athletic director for compliance, says the school is waiting for Moevao to complete some paperwork if he decides to go through with the appeal.

Parker said "A decision from the NCAA is usually reached three to four weeks after submission. Most extra years are granted when two different injuries are suffered to cause two seasons lost beyond the control of the student-athlete."

But in Moevao's case, he redshirted his first year at Oregon St. after a season at El Camino Junior College in Torrance, Calif., but has only lost one season due to injury.

With the experienced Moevao behind center, the bold scheduling move, as well as the Beavers' Pac-10 prospects in a year where the conference of quarterbacks will again be loaded with bona fide gunslingers, will look much different.

The prospect of next season's possible schedule with a quarterback, Katz, who hasn't started a game by then in nearly three years, and that a high school game, or perhaps Peter Lalich, who at least has DI starting experience for Virginia, but no game action in nearly two years, harkens back to the dark days.

Not just the more recent days when Oregon St. took on games that produced numerous early season nonconference losses, many of them by lopsided scores, in recent seasons, but also way back in history.

The dark ages known as the nearly thirty years between the original giant killers and the coming of the "Age of Riley" were a direct product of this type of scheduling. Oregon State once would only play only three home games, and one in Portland, loading up with high profile road games. Pull off the upsets, and you are the giant killers.

However, reality was a lot of beat downs, resulting in depressed home attendance (Who are these guys anyway, we haven't seen them around in a month?), and collapsed recruiting (Would a good recruit prefer to win, or get beat in front of a hostile crowd?). And a downward spiral that led to very real talk of dropping down to the Big Sky conference. Where there would be annual opportunities to play Eastern Washington.

When suicide scheduling is something others come to you to do, instead of you being willing to do it, is when your program has truly arrived. Seven home games should be the goal, not a schedule that makes exceeding seven wins a major achievement.

Unless Riley and DeCarolis know something the rest of us don't, it looks like a step back in time, more than a step up in national prominence.

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year - Who Deserves It Most?

Jon Johnston — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:53:24 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Right now, I've got Chip Kelly at the top of the list. Is that right?

Browse more photos »

This past year I joined the FWAA - the Football Writers Association of America. One of the things I get to do as a member of the FWAA is vote on the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

Below are this year's candidates. We're asked to rank them one through seven.

Mack Brown, Texas

Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati

Chip Kelly, Oregon

Gary Patterson, TCU

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Nick Saban, Alabama

My initial thought is to put Chip Kelly at the top. Oregon began the season looking horrid in their 19-8 loss against Boise State. At the time I thought there was no way the Ducks would have a decent season, yet later, there they were, beating the snot out of USC, 47-20, beating Oregon State 37-33 and earning their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1995. The fact that Kelly could make that big a turn-around in a single season - that's coaching.

Mack Brown's Longhorn team had a great season, but I don't feel that he did anything special. They played no one of substance during non-conference, and the Big 12 had a down year. Texas has more advantages than just about anyone (save Florida, USC) in college football.

Paul Johnson's Yellow Jacket team had a pretty good season. Georgia Tech finished 11-2, won the ACC, and earned a trip to the Orange Bowl to play Iowa. That's pretty decent for a guy in only his second year. Should I be ranking him higher than I am?

Nick Saban should probably win this award. He has the top team in the land, and the Crimson Tide beat the tar out of their nemesis Florida in the SEC Championship game. Unfortunately, I see Saban as nothing more than a mercenary. The question no one seems to be asking is - "If Saban wins a national championship for Alabama, where is he going next?". People have forgotten Saban's ability to extort.

Chris Peterson and Gary Patterson deserve some credit for the seasons they've put together. Patterson's TCU team pounded most of the teams they played, with wins over Clemson, Air Force, and BYU. Peterson's Bronco team beat Oregon soundly in the first game of the year, but sadly played no one else of much substance the rest of the season.

Brian Kelly at Cincinnati lost any consideration when he changed jobs at the end of the season. I don't care if it's Notre Dame or Kansas, you lose your right to awards consideration when you just left a group of young men you convinced to come to a school.

Right now my vote looks like this:

Chip Kelly

Gary Patterson

Chris Petersen

Nick Saban

Mack Brown

Paul Johnson

Brian Kelly

Tell me where I'm wrong.

If I Were King: 2008

utesfan100 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:33:04 -0000

This week I transform from looking at what my design would look like for this year and will walk backwards one year per week, until the dawn of the BCS era.

Qualifying teams:

Top group: Oklahoma, Florida, Texas
Undefeated: Utah, Boise State
Total Teams: 5

Tournament:

On Decemeber 19th or 20th Utah would have hosted Boise State for the opportunity to play Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Florida and Texas would have played in a neutral site wild card game near New Year's Day. The winners of the Fiesta Bowl and wild card game would play in the National Championship Game.

Possible BCS Bowls

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati

Teams in bold would have been tied to that berth, italics indicate a BCS berth would have been guaranteed. TCU and Georgia Tech also would have been eligible.

What actually happened and a tier based plus one next.

What actually happened

BCS Games

BCS Championship Game: #2 Florida 24 - #1 Oklahoma 14
Fiesta Bowl: #3 Texas 24 - #10 Ohio St. 21
Sugar Bowl: #6 Utah 31 - #4 Alabama 17
Rose Bowl: #5 USC 38 - #8 Penn State 24
Orange Bowl: #19 Virginia Tech 20 - #12 Cincinnati 7

BCS Controversy

Texas an Florida were in a dead heat for the #2 spot but most people felt that Florida belonged and that Texas' dispute belonged with Oklahoma. A three way tiebreaker in the Big 12 South that fell to the BCS standings in the second to last poll generated far more controversy than the selection of Florida over Texas.

Utah and Boise State finished as the only two undefeated teams at the end of the regular season and were not invited to the championship game. Boise State was largely forgotten about after they lost to TCU 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl but Utah earned 25% of the AP poll's first place votes with a stunning upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. This left Utah as the only undefeated team in the nation.

The Fiesta Bowl also selected two loss Ohio State over Boise State for an at large berth despite Boise State's better record and higher ranking in the final BCS standings.

Both designs presented here reduced the strength of all controversies in 2008.

A Tier Based Plus-One

Oklahoma would have played Boise State and Florida would have played Utah in the semifinal games. USC and Virginia Tech would have been selected for direct BCS participation in the Rose and Orange Bowl respectively.

Penn State and Cincinnati would have been guaranteed a spot in the first round games.

Texas, Texas Tech, Alabama, Ohio State, TCU, BYU, Ball State and Tulsa would have been eligible for the six remaining first round game spots.

[Editor's Note: I am in the process of updating my data to use 9 wins over FBS teams for eligibility. This eligibility list reflects the original criteria of 10-2 or better. Once the data has been updated this post will be updated and this line removed]

Possible first round games:

Mid-West: TCU vs. Ohio State
North: Penn State vs. Cincinnati
South: Alabama vs. Texas
West: Texas Tech vs. BYU

The winners would advance to a BCS bowl. The losers would advance to a lower bowl opting to leave a spot open for them in the first round of bowl selections.

Ball St. and Tulsa would have remained eligible for two bowls.

Poll

What would you rather have seen in 2008?

Don't Bet On It!: College Football Bowl Edition (Part I)

T Kyle King — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:53:51 -0000

The outcome of this afternoon’s Army-Navy game finalized the Division I-A postseason lineup, so now we are able to begin (albeit not end; there are a lot of these games, you know) taking a look at this year’s bowl pairings. My 4-3 record in last weekend’s predictions brought me to 69-16 (.812) in SEC forecasts, 35-33 (.515) in non-conference prognostications, and 104-49 (.680) in overall picks for 2009. Perhaps now would be a good time to remind you . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Here are the first four games of the 2009 bowl season, the earliest of which will occur only one week from today (which hopefully will keep tankertoad’s Saturday from sucking):

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno St. Bulldogs v. Wyoming Cowboys (Dec. 19): All right, seriously, this isn’t a rematch of a conference game? I genuinely find that hard to believe. The Cowboys will arrive in Albuquerque fresh from a 6-6 season that included losses to the Texas Longhorns, Colorado Buffaloes, Brigham Young Cougars, and TCU Horned Frogs by margins of 31, 24, 52, and 35 points, respectively. Wyoming simply hasn’t so much as shown up against anyone even passably good. The West Coast Bulldogs are passably good.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl: Central Florida Golden Knights v. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Dec. 19): On a day we all spent watching the Army Black Knights put forth a pretty good first-half effort in an attempt to earn a bowl bid, we now find ourselves confronting the prospect of two more groups of color-coded paladins squaring off in the postseason. It’s almost as though the Nike guys in charge of the Oregon Ducks’ uniforms were digitally enhancing the costumes in "Excalibur." I don’t know whether this one will begin with a coin toss or a jousting tournament, but I’m confident it will end with a Rutgers victory.

New Orleans Bowl: Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders v. Southern Miss. Golden Eagles (Dec. 20): Really, now, you can’t be telling me this isn’t a rematch of a conference game, can you? I mean, I’ve been in Sanford Stadium to see the Georgia Bulldogs up the integer in the left-hand side of their ledger against both of these teams. Then again, I’ve also been in the Classic City to see the Red and Black come up short against one of these teams, so that’s the one I’m picking to win. Southern Miss annually opens the season as the No. 25 team on my BlogPoll ballot in a nod to Matt Hinton and the Golden Eagles will end this season with a win.

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU Cougars v. Oregon St. Beavers (Dec. 22): Two things about this game continue to baffle me. First of all, if the bowl in Nashville is the Music City Bowl and the bowl in Detroit used to be the Motor City Bowl, shouldn’t the bowl in Las Vegas be the Sin City Bowl? Secondly, how strange is it that this bowl keeps playing host to Brigham Young, a school whose student-athletes consider caffeine morally objectionable? I’m not sure whether Oregon State’s presence in this game attests more to the depth of the Pac-10 as a conference or the crummy quality of the league’s postseason tie-ins, but, either way, if what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, then what’s staying in Vegas is a Beaver beatdown of the overrated Cougars.

You know, I know, and the American people know that I’m flying blind on these early predictions, so, even if you find that my forecasts make sense to you in the later games, that should not cause you to place faith in my initial set of prognostications. Simply stated, whatever you do . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Go ‘Dawgs!

TCU Travles to Wichita State and Looking to Rebound after tough loss to Texas Tech

Jeremy Mauss — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:02:03 -0000

Next Game

TCU Horned Frogs (5-4)
@ Wichita St. Shockers (8-1)

Saturday, Dec 12, 2009, 5:05 PM PST
Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge - Charles Koch Arena

Complete Coverage >

TCU is trying to overcome from their previous loss to Texas Tech, which would have been their best win in a couple of years. Wichita State is from the Missouri Valley Conference and this game is part of the MVC/MWC challenge, and the Shockers are not a push over. Their best win is against Iowa and their only loss is to Pitt. This game should be a slugfest, because of the Schockers defense that is only giving up in the mid 50's. TCU is not a scoring machine but they get in the 70 point range per game, so something will give.

TCU has a few big time scorers and should be able to surpass what Wichita gives up. Zvonko Buljan, Ronnie Moss, and Edvinas Ruzgas are all studs and combine for 46 points. However, if any of those three are stopped then Witchita State will be able to take care of TCU.

TCU Stats

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Ronnie Moss	9	35.0	5.7	14.4	39.2	2.7	6.7	40.0	3.7	5.4	67.3	0.7	2.6	3.2	6.9	3.1	1.1	0.4	2.7	17.7
Zvonko Buljan	9	28.8	5.4	11.6	47.1	1.0	3.6	28.1	2.6	3.7	69.7	2.9	7.6	10.4	2.4	4.2	1.0	0.0	3.3	14.4
Edvinas Ruzgas	9	31.6	5.3	9.6	55.8	2.6	5.8	44.2	1.1	1.7	66.7	0.6	2.3	2.9	0.4	0.7	0.6	0.0	1.9	14.3
Garlon Green	9	20.0	1.7	4.1	40.5	0.1	1.1	10.0	2.3	3.1	75.0	1.2	2.0	3.2	0.2	1.3	0.1	0.6	2.4	5.8
Greg Hill	9	20.1	1.8	5.1	34.8	0.8	3.2	24.1	1.3	1.7	80.0	0.3	1.8	2.1	1.1	1.1	0.8	0.0	1.6	5.7
Kevin Butler	9	27.8	1.9	4.0	47.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	2.4	59.1	4.0	2.1	6.1	0.9	0.6	0.7	0.8	3.3	5.2
Keion Mitchem	9	21.8	1.7	3.8	44.1	0.8	2.3	33.3	0.6	0.9	62.5	0.7	1.8	2.4	1.2	1.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	4.7
Nikola Cerina	9	15.0	1.1	2.6	43.5	0.1	0.4	25.0	0.9	1.2	72.7	0.8	1.3	2.1	0.4	0.8	0.1	0.9	2.6	3.2
Xavier Roberson	9	6.3	0.6	1.6	35.7	0.4	0.9	50.0	0.8	1.1	70.0	0.0	0.6	0.6	0.8	1.1	0.4	0.0	1.1	2.3
Logan Lancon	4	4.3	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.8	0.0
Marin Bavcevic	1	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Wichita State Stats

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Toure` Murry	9	29.6	4.6	10.1	45.1	1.6	4.3	35.9	2.9	4.1	70.3	1.1	4.8	5.9	3.2	2.4	2.0	0.1	2.1	13.6
J.T. Durley	9	18.9	3.7	6.7	55.0	0.4	1.3	33.3	2.3	2.7	87.5	1.3	2.3	3.7	0.8	1.6	0.8	0.2	2.6	10.1
Garrett Stutz	9	17.3	3.7	7.6	48.5	0.3	0.9	37.5	1.9	2.3	81.0	2.6	2.9	5.4	0.3	1.0	0.6	0.4	2.7	9.6
Graham Hatch	9	25.6	2.3	6.0	38.9	1.7	3.8	44.1	2.3	3.0	77.8	1.2	2.0	3.2	1.8	1.1	1.0	0.1	2.0	8.7
Clevin Hannah	6	23.7	2.7	5.3	50.0	1.2	2.7	43.8	1.8	2.0	91.7	0.8	1.5	2.3	4.7	2.0	1.5	0.0	1.7	8.3
David Kyles	9	23.6	3.0	5.8	51.9	0.8	2.0	38.9	0.9	1.4	61.5	0.7	1.7	2.3	2.3	1.0	1.3	0.6	0.7	7.7
Gabe Blair	9	20.7	2.7	6.2	42.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.6	2.1	73.7	2.2	4.0	6.2	0.9	1.6	1.1	0.4	2.6	6.9
Aaron Ellis	9	22.2	2.6	5.0	51.1	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.6	1.0	55.6	1.2	3.0	4.2	0.8	1.0	0.8	0.6	2.4	5.7
Demetric Williams	8	14.4	1.4	3.5	39.3	0.4	1.9	20.0	0.8	1.0	75.0	0.1	0.8	0.9	1.1	1.4	0.9	0.0	2.1	3.9
Kenny Manigault	9	9.6	0.4	1.4	30.8	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.8	1.3	58.3	0.2	0.6	0.8	1.8	0.8	0.2	0.0	1.0	1.7
Bryce Mayes	6	2.5	0.3	1.2	28.6	0.2	1.0	16.7	0.2	0.3	50.0	0.2	0.5	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.2	1.0
Derek Brown	8	2.8	0.1	0.6	20.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.5	0.6	0.3	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.4	0.3

3rd Annual Rock M Nation Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

The Beef — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

UPDATE: BUMPED BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

That's right loyal readers...the Bowl Pick 'Em Contest is back for its third season.

It is simple to participate. Simply reply to this thread with your picks. You will need to pick both against the spread, as well as the over/under, so you will have two picks per game. The spreads are LOCKED, so a movement in the line will not be taken into account. The spreads are courtesy of bookmaker.com because...well...that's the one I could find (and unless otherwise noted) They also represent where the lines were when they opened, which was a week ago (had to wait for Army/Navy to be played to determine Eagle Bowl and Texas Bowl line)

Our winner from last year is FSUncensored, who went 39-27 to win by three games over The Cool Alonzo and myself. All time, MU 1839 (our first winner) holds the best two-year record at 18 games over .500 (74-56). Of the "couples" category, The Beef and Tailgate Queen came out 3 game ahead of Bill C and Bill C's wife last year, tying their annual battle at 1-1. Overall, the contest generated a won-loss record of 1066-1244 for a not so good percentage of .461. Over the two years, we currently sit at 1711-1879 for a winning percentage of .477. Yes...I've kept track.

Picks are due by noon on Saturday, December 19th (since the first games are later that evening). Picks are lined up after the jump.

As for prizes...1st prize will get you the Rock M Nation T-shirt of your choice, unless RPT (who somehow is the keeper of the purse strings around here) decides we want to pony up some additional swag.

Anyway, we had a good time with this last year with 35 participants (up from 20 the first year) and somehow I am thinking we are going to have a FEW more than that :-) Come one, come all (and that certainly includes non-Rock M regulars...anyone from SB Nation is welcome to participate)...make me work hard at this. If you were here last season and have changed names, just let me know and I will do my best to give you your two or three-season score when all is said and done as well.

New Mexico

Fresno State -10 1/2 vs. Wyoming

Over/Under - 55 1/2

St. Petersburg

Rutgers -2 vs. UCF

Over/Under - 44 1/2

New Orleans

Sothern Miss -3 1/2 vs. Mid Tenn St.

Over/Under - 59

Las Vegas

Oregon State - 1 1/2 vs. BYU

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Poinsetta

Cal -3 vs. Utah

Over/Under - 53 1/2

Hawaii

Nevada -14 vs. SMU

Over/Under - 73 1/2

Little Caesers

Ohio -2 vs. Marshall

Over/Under - 50

Meineke

Pitt -3 vs. UNC

Over/Under - 44 1/2

Emerald

USC -9 vs. BC

Over/Under - 45 1/2

Music City

Clemson -7 vs. Kentucky

Over/Under - 52 1/2

Independence

Georgia -7 vs. Texas A&M

Over/Under - 64

Eagle Bank (LSVC odds)

UCLA -4 vs. Temple

Over/Under - 46 1/2

Champs Sports

Miami (FL) -3 vs. Wisconsin

Over/Under - 56

Humanitarian

Bowling Green PK vs. Idaho

Over/Under - 68 1/2

Holiday

Arizona -1 vs. Nebraska

Over/Under - 41

Armed Forces

Houston -5 vs. Air Force

Over/Under - 61

Sun

Oklahoma -9 1/2 vs. Stanford

Over/Under - 56 1/2

Texas (LVSC odds)

Mizzou -6 vs. Navy

Over/Under - 54

Insight

Minnesota -3 vs. Iowa State

Over/Under - 48

Chick-Fil-A

Va Tech -4 1/2 vs. Tenn

Over/Under - 50 1/2

Outback

Auburn -8 vs. Northwestern

Over/Under - 54 1/2

Gator

West Virginia -2 1/2 vs. Florida St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Capital One

Penn State -3 vs. LSU

Over/Under - 44

Rose

Oregon -3 1/2 vs. Ohio State

Over/Under - 51 1/2

Sugar

Florida -10 vs. Cincy

Over/Under - 55 1/2

International

South Fla. -6 1/2 vs. No. Illinois

Over/Under - 50

PapaJohns

South Carolina -4 1/2 vs. UCONN

Over/Under - 53

Cotton

Ole Miss -3 vs. Okie State

Over/Under -  50 1/2

Liberty

Arkansas -7 1/2 vs. East Carolina

Over/Under - 63 1/2

Alamo

Texas Tech -7 vs. Michigan St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Fiesta

TCU -7 vs. Boise St

Over/Under - 54

Orange

Ga Tech -4 vs. Iowa

Over/Under - 51

GMAC

Central Mich -4 vs. Troy

Over/Under - 64

BCS Champ

Alabama -5 1/2 vs. Texas

Over/Under - 45

That is Why TCU looked so Excited for the BCS Selection Show

Jeremy Mauss — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:54:43 -0000

The mystery is solved to why TCU fans were so excited about playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl: pre shot video. According to TCU baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle, most of the enthusiastic crowd shots were done before the show began, which was obviously before fans knew who their opponent would be:

So the team is there, coach Gary Patterson is there, the Fox camera crew is there and Fox reporter Charissa Thompson is there. The producers were there pumping their fists and getting the crowd jazzed with applause signs and all. Thompson only told the fans gathered there that they were going to the Fiesta Bowl and not who they would play.

So, the only thing the students knew as the show went live was that TCU was going to the Fiesta Bowl but the opponent was not named. How convenient of Fox to let the fans know only know that part, but not who they were playing. Looks like they made the right move to pre tape the excitement, because with all the heat Fox and the BCS take it would not look good to see a first time BCS participant boo their selection. The TCU fans were rightfully upset and stormed out from the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since TCU will not be able to prove themselves against a team from one of the big money leagues.

After the Fiesta Bowl, where will the Boise State Broncos be ranked?

Kevan Lee — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:40:09 -0000

Perhaps the Fiesta Bowl's greatest redeeming quality is that it pits the No. 4 and No. 6 teams against each other, which should result in one team finishing well into the Top Five with a win and maybe as high as No. 2.

After the jump, discuss how high you think the Broncos can land with a win and how far they will fall with a loss. Share your thoughts in the comments. How important will this game be for next year's Boise State team?

Below is a list of the BCS Top 15 with records and bowl opponents.

Rank	Team	Record	Opponent	Bowl
1	Alabama	13-0	Texas	NC game
2	Texas	13-0	Alabama	NC game
3	Cincinnati	12-0	Florida	Sugar
4	TCU	12-0	Boise State	Fiesta
5	Florida	12-1	Cincinnati	Sugar
6	Boise State	13-0	TCU	Fiesta
7	Oregon	10-2	Ohio State	Rose
8	Ohio State	10-2	Oregon	Rose
9	Georgia Tech	11-2	Iowa	Orange
10	Iowa	10-2	Georgia Tech	Orange
11	Virginia Tech	9-3	Tennessee	Chick-fil-A
12	LSU	9-3	Penn State	Capital One
13	Penn State	10-2	LSU	Capital One
14	BYU	10-2	Oregon State	Las Vegas
15	Miami (FL)	9-3	Wisconsin	Champs Sports

How high will Boise State be ranked with a win in the Fiesta Bowl?

First, some history. Boise State entered the 2007 Fiesta Bowl ranked No. 9 in the country, and they left the Fiesta Bowl ranked No. 5 in the country. They were the only undefeated team in the country, much like last year's Utah team, which finished No. 2.

How likely is Boise State to pull off a 2008 Utah? One big difference is that the Broncos would not be the only undefeated team in the country. The winner of Texas-Alabama will also be undefeated, and Cincinnati has a shot if they beat Florida. One comforting bit of information: Utah was ranked No. 6 entering the Sugar Bowl last year.

The question of No. 2 comes down to what happens in the 2010 Sugar Bowl between Cincy and Florida. If the Bearcats win, it should give them enough of a push to stay ahead of the Broncos, no matter how big BSU wins over TCU. I would assume that the Bearcats can assure themselves a No. 2 finish with a win over the Gators, and they could even garner some first place votes if the National Championship is an ugly, ugly game.

Let's assume that Florida beats Cincinnati. Would the pollsters keep the Gators above the Broncos? For me, this would come down to quality wins. I think if both the Broncos and Gators win evenly, then Florida will stay above BSU. But if the Broncos blow out TCU and Florida squeaks by Cincinnati, I think that Boise State would have a chance of passing UF.

The loser of Texas-Alabama might mess up the Broncos' rise to the top, too. If the NC is a close game, the loser might not fall very far. In that case, Boise State might have trouble getting ahead of either Texas or Alabama, much like the Broncos were unable to jump Florida when the Gators lost the SEC championship.

Then there's this: Can Oregon or Ohio State jump a 14-0 Broncos team? I would certainly hope not, but I'm not putting anything past Craig James and Co.

via assets.espn.go.com

My final verdict: No. 3. There are a lot of possibilities in the polls following these BCS games. If Boise State wins the Fiesta, I think the winner of Florida-Cincinnati will get the No. 2 spot, and the Broncos will be fighting the Alabama-Texas loser for No. 3.

How high do you think the Broncos can get?

(Sidenote: How high will TCU be ranked with a win? They would appear destined for a No. 2. The only thing keeping them from runner-up would be a dominating Cincinnati win over Florida. I think that even a narrow win over the Gators would put Cincinnati below a 13-0 TCU. Agree/disagree?)

How far will Boise State fall with a loss in the Fiesta Bowl?

The Broncos have a little bit of breathing room in the polls as there is only one one-loss team in the country prior to bowl season. After all the bowls have been played, there can be at most four one-loss teams (and in this scenario, there would be two undefeated teams), so you would think Boise State's No. 6 ranking might be secured.

Ah, but thinking that way would be giving college football too much credit. Despite what the records might say, do you think that voters will keep Boise State at No. 6 even after a loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl? I have a hard time believing it unless the Broncos and Horned Frogs play an epic game that comes down to the final minutes.

Otherwise, I think the possibilities are very good that the Rose Bowl winner and maybe Georgia Tech pass the Broncos. How disappointing would it be for a two-loss Oregon to finish ahead of a one-loss Boise State in the final poll? Don't answer that. I'm already regretting bringing up the topic.

Are there any teams outside of the Top 9 that could finish ahead of the Bronco? It doesn't seem likely. Perception of Iowa is such that the Broncos would have to really lay an egg for a two-loss Hawkeyes team to jump BSU. The next two schools, Virginia Tech and LSU, each have three losses, and there would be apocalypse now if a three-loss team passed a one-loss. Penn State could get pretty high with a win, but they are seven full spots behind the Broncos entering bowl season. That's a mighty tall hill to climb.

Here's a thought: Would any teams above the Broncos fall behind Boise State with a loss? For example, say Florida gets absolutely demolished by Cincinnati and BSU barely loses to TCU. Would the Gators fall behind the Broncos? What if Cincinnati were the team losing big?

I refuse to entertain the idea of BYU passing the Broncos. If that happens, I will light myself on fire in perpetuity.

via www.ctdol.state.ct.us

My final verdict: No. 7. A big portion of the voting will depend on how close the Fiesta Bowl is. If Boise State plays really well, they will not tumble too far. If it is a blowout, they could end up a couple spots lower. I see the Broncos putting in a good effort and only being passed by one team currently below them. I just really hope that team isn't Oregon.

(Sidebar: How far will TCU fall with a loss? I could see the Horned Frogs tumbling to at least No. 6 or No. 7 as Boise State, the Rose Bowl winner, and Florida pass them. The Sugar Bowl loser and TCU would probably be the two schools battling for the ranking at that point. Agree/disagree?)

Your turn

Where do you think Boise State will end up in the rankings? Can they go as high as No. 2? Can they fall as far as No. 8? How do you think their final ranking will impact next season? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

72 Hours Later the Fiesta Bowl Still Does Not Add Up

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Mike Stone - AP

Browse more photos »

Almost, three days have passed and the Fiesta Bowl pick of undefeated Boise State and TCU feels more and more like a slap in the face rather then an award of a great season. Besides that neither team will get to prove themselves against an automatic qualifying league this is a rematch of the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl that saw TCU win 17-16. The Fiesta Bowl has come out and said they wanted the two highest ranked teams, and to be getting two undefeated teams was a bonus.

However if they wanted the two highest teams they would have taken Cincinnati with their second pick. The Fiesta Bowl choose TCU as their replacement for losing Texas to the national title game --instead of ratings gold in Iowa-- then on the turn after the Orange to Iowa the Fiesta decided to take Boise because of their proximity. However, if the Fiesta was truthful in the highest ranked teams outside of the title game they would have taken Cincinnati who was number three instead of Boise State that is sixth.

Andy Staples from Sports Illustrated put it best:

Welcome to Glendale, home of the Separate but Equal Bowl. Great work, @insidethebc

Neither team is really excited about playing this game, but TCU coach Gary Patterson is putting on his best happy face by on about being in the their first ever BCS game:

"This is a fun time, I don't want to put a negative spin at all on it," Patterson said. "This is the first time we've been to one of these games. We've tried so hard to get to one of these games, so for me, I'm just excited to get a chance to be here. It's easier to get to one once you've been there because you've proven you can get there. So this is a stepping stone, just like we talked about climbing the mountain. The mountain's getting steeper and the air's getting thinner. That's OK, that's what you want."

Now one could argue that the non-BCS have earned their way by getting two schools in to the BCS and are being treated as equals. Which is why it should not be a big deal that the two are matchup each other, but rather the game should be looked at from a rankings stand point that puts the number four and six teams in the same game. Those are sentiments from the BCS that wants nothing to do with a playoff or give TCU --if they win-- an opportunity to speak out for a shot at the national title as Utah did last year after they destroyed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Instead the two are sat at the kiddies table for Thanksgiving dinner or if you prefer the 'Separate but Equal Bowl,' then for the smarty pants Plessy v. Ferguson.

The fact is not that this should be one of the better BCS bowl games, but is that instead of creating a matchup that the people want to see the BCS is just trying to prevent more perceived embarassing loses handed down by a non-BCS towards a BCS teams. But, it is not like Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Oklahoma have not had their share of embarssing loses. Boise State and TCU should have been given the opportunity to beat a team from an automatic qualifying league.

Regular Season Finale of the Blogpoll Draft Edition

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:50:52 -0000

The Blogpoll is set up by MGoBlog and is a collection of bloggers who actually watch the games, which is more then what the coaches, AP, or Harris poll voters can say. The poll is so respected that CBS Sports is behind the poll and it is posted along side the polls that actually count. Here is an explanation of the Blog poll from Brian himself.

As expected Alabama moves to number one after their beat down of the Florida Tim Tebow's who fell to six. Then TCU comes in at second and then Boise State third, because Texas showed that against a really good defense they are very vulnerable. Plus, the bone head play of Colt McCoy on that casual roll out and throw out of bounds nearly cost the Horns a shot at the title, but what he did lose was his Heisman on that play.

Let me know what you all think and if any changes should be made before the final ballot is released tomorrow moring.

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Alabama	3
2	TCU	1
3	Boise State	2
4	Texas	1
5	Cincinnati	1
6	Florida	4
7	Oregon
8	Georgia Tech	4
9	Ohio State	1
10	Virginia Tech	1
11	Iowa	1
12	Penn State	1
13	LSU
14	Brigham Young
15	Pittsburgh	2
16	Oregon State	1
17	Miami (Florida)	2
18	Stanford	2
19	West Virginia	2
20	Nebraska
21	Central Michigan	2
22	Arizona
23	Utah	1
24	Oklahoma State	1
25	Wisconsin
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Houston (#16), California (#18), Southern Cal (#22).